


February 2 - Amarna

by raktajinos



Category: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms
Genre: Diary/Journal, Epistolary, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 13:25:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15340803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raktajinos/pseuds/raktajinos
Summary: I’ve heard a few people say they aren’t happy with how I got here - which, sure, maybe wasn’t the most fair. I did just call up Dr. Wakiz and ask to join the excavation and she said yes. Well, technically she asked me if I was coming to make a mess of yet another of her sites; “I love you, Lara, and I loved your parents, but my goodness child you do make a mess of things.”





	February 2 - Amarna

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HostisHumaniGeneris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HostisHumaniGeneris/gifts).



> You asked for a 'day in the life' sort of fic for Lara - I hope this isn't tooooo boring.

I can’t believe I’ve only be here for less than two days; it feels like I’ve been here a week. 

It’s been a really long day, we were up before the sun and save for a brief break at midday, been at it until dusk. I’m just finally getting to truly sit down now - and none of that weird squatting archaeologists seem to be fond of. Dr Wakiz is really optimistic about this site, she says she can feel that we’re getting close to something big. I hope she’s right. I expect that she’s right - she has a sixth sense about these things. 

I’ve found a spot that I can call my own, it is sort of out of the way of everyone, but also near enough that I don’t seem too aloof. I haven’t had the warmest reception from the crew here 

I’ve heard a few people say they aren’t happy with how I got here - which, sure, maybe wasn’t the most fair. I did just call up Dr. Wakiz and ask to join the excavation and she said yes. Well, technically she asked me if I was coming to make a mess of yet another of her sites; “I love you, Lara, and I loved your parents, but my goodness child you do make a mess of things.” 

True. 

And it was something I’d also heard rumblings about - whispered conversations about my name, family, past. Infamy wasn’t always the most fun thing to have. It would only be a matter of time before someone confronted me about my past and in my experience they’d either be angry at me for it (“think of the ruined history!”) or a fan (“I became an archaeologist for adventure...and you actually got it!”). I’m eager for this conversation to finally happen, it tends to break the tension. 

If I had to wager, I would say that Peter was going to be the one to break first. He’s like 21 and on a work placement through his university and I know my _story_ is talked about in university classrooms. He is of the fan variety; he’s young, and not completely bored to death yet with cataloging stratification layer statistics. He looks at me like he wants to ask me a million questions. 

There is this one woman, Amal, she’s been nice to me though, so it’s not like I’m out here a pariah with no friends. It happens though; I’m not trying to be sorry for myself. I worked with Amal on the tablet today and she helped me get situated last night. 

It feels like I’ve consumed roughly seventy litres of this hibiscus tea they have on site. It’s called karkade and one of the men employed onsite makes it for everyone. It is beyond delicious. And it can be served hot or cold! I’m just really into the tea, okay. Anyone reading these journals in a few decades (or if I die as a result of some shit going sideways as it always does)...I want them to know about the deliciousness of this tea. Serve it at my funeral. 

It reminds me of my parents, actually. They both enjoyed a warm beverage every night before bed, be that tea or a nightcap. I remember this one time when I had snuck out of bed and came down into his study, trying to stay hidden - but my mother say me and brought me in. I asked to taste what they were drinking. It turned out to be hot toddies and to this day, the flavour of whiskey will always remind me of that night. The hibiscus doesn’t take like whiskey, but I’m not sure, something about it reminds me of them. 

As for the work today, I enjoy the banal aspects of this profession. The constant measuring and slow, small progress of discovery. I’ve come to appreciate it even more after the past few years I’ve had. 

Today, I worked on the removal and transcription of a new tablet that was discovered a few days before I got here. Dr Wakiz believes it to be a letter from within the royal house, but won’t be able to truly tell until she can spend a few days on the translation. 

I photographed and measured the tablet and began my transcription - all of which needs to be done in situ prior to the moving of the piece. The rest of the team are eager for it to be moved as ground scans have indicated the presence of more beneath the tablet. So I was trying to work as fast as I could today. 

I do find it funny, in this highly technical age, we find something new (well, old I guess) and it still requires someone to sit next to it for nine hours and literally draw out on paper what it looks like. Despite all the photography and scanning technology, a hand drawn facsimile is a long-standing tradition. 

My ancient Egyptian is not the best, it’s not awful, I certainly have a more-than-passing competence in it (Dr Wakiz would not let me on to her site without that, despite the fact that I speak fluent Arabic). The actual translation would be up to her, as she literally was the foremost expert on the ancient script. 

I worried she would be disappointed with the tablet discovery. From my initial assessment, the tablet seemed to be mostly an order form for resources for some sort of party being hosted by the Pharaoh. Dr Wakiz was out here looking for more details about Nefertiti, with the top prize being any sort of indication as to her final resting place. 

Dr Wakiz was uniquely obsessed with the female experience of ancient Egypt, applying a feminist psychological framework to the historical record in an attempt to understand the gender dynamics of the period and specifically, how women like Nefertiti may or may not have disrupted that. 

It was the reason I asked to join this excavation. Well, one of the reasons. I was looking for something more routine to do with my time and it was a great excuse to spend time with Dr Wakiz, who was more like an aunt to me than my actual aunt. Plus, Nefertiti was really cool. Any archaeologist worth their salt is intrigued by her. It’s our Area 51, our Lindbergh Baby, our literal Jimmy Hoffa! I will always volunteer to be on any dig focused on finding her - its too exciting of an opportunity to give up. 

Which is why I thought Dr Wakiz might be disappointed in the tablet - there aren’t really any references to her in it. Though, what did I expect - the first tablet we find to be a treasure map?! 

I guess sometimes I can’t fully get over my immediate results lifestyle. 

I won’t rewrite all the statistics about the tablet in this journal; if anyone reading this is interested in that, please refer to the file and artefact associated with AW-AM-334589T it will all be in there. 

I don’t really have a specific task out here, or role. I’m a floater - helping out where I’m told or where I’m needed. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing tomorrow. It’s unlikely that I’ll be doing any actual excavation work, but I may be assigned to supervise some of the graduate students we have. Dr Wakiz makes a point of taking on at least ten students for every dig she goes on - mentorship is a big deal for her. 

I’ll probably be assigned on the errand trip tomorrow. The excavation is affiliated with the university in Cairo and every few weeks, or when needed, we take up a truckload of any materials found for storage and processing there. Dr Wakiz has a secondary research staff at the university who will begin the deeper dive work on the items found, processing the field reports, beginning the scanning and cataloguing of items, as well as preparing a report for the Egyptian government on the expedition’s progress and findings thus far. 

Loading everything into the truck and then unloading it is _not_ a glamourous task, but my Arabic skills and familiarity with the region make it likely I’ll be doing that. Which will be nice in a way, I love Egypt. I love the heat, I love its people, I love its history. Getting the chance to go off site and see this beautiful country is always welcomed. 

And also being able to see it while not running for my life is also a treat. 

I wonder if - -- 

Sorry, back. I don’t even remember what I was wondering. Dr Wakiz came up to me with copies of my transcriptions from earlier today. She’s not done working through them, but she’s very excited. As I noted, there were references to the Pharaoh throughout it, but I assumed they were referencing Akhenaten. Dr Wakiz has a suspicion that they may actually be referring to Nefertiti, but whomever was writing the tablet centuries ago, was being somewhat sarcastic about referring to her as the Pharaoh; almost like how we might use quotation marks to mockingly refer to someone. It is just a theory, and a moderately baseless one at that as there is very little proof in the historical record of people using sarcasm in their codified documents. 

But it is exciting nonetheless. The possibility. The potential. 

I’m going to leave it there for tonight, I’m exhausted. But I’ve also been invited to play poker with a few of the students - Peter invited me. What did I tell you. 

Dr Wakiz confirmed I’ll be going on the Cairo trip tomorrow, so I’ve got a day of driving ahead of me. 

Fingers crossed for a smooth, boring day.

**Author's Note:**

> The historical context of the dig site is accurate; Nefertiti did live in Amarna and there was a series of letters/tablets called the Amarna Letters that provided a lot of insight into this period. But the actual dig itself and Dr Wakiz are made up.
> 
> And we still don't know where Nefertiti is buried.


End file.
